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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Monday, October 30, 2006

the tour of our neighborhood happened yesterday. almost 500 people trounced up and down our little streets, checking out our "spectacular vernacular". (click on the photo gallery.) the sky was blue. the leaves turning yellow. the girls sold lemonade. (made a killing!) we met one of the architects of our tract. and got to see his blueprints and the original sales brochures. and the day ended with a neighborhood party with a group of dear dear friends. all who live within a block. ages 9 mos to 90. it was awesome. it was perfect. we. are. so. lucky.(at the after tour party i met some of the moms who were on the pta in 1956! the year the school opened. what an inspiration!)

tomorrow. a parade of ghouls and goblins around the school. hopefully with lots of neighbors in attendance. then trick or treating up and down our little streets with a sweet group of mice, cats, witches, supermen, and a waitress. can't wait!

Monday, October 23, 2006

i think i need to take a blogging break. i am (once again) feeling overwhelmed and not able to put forward what i would like to see being put forward here. instead of sounding like a broken record i'll give this space a rest. i'll still be over at flickr. and checking in with you.

ahhh life! a good friend, when asked how he was doing, once told me that "life is full". i have always held on to that. no matter whether it be good. or bad. it does seem to hold that constant. full. and i am not really sure that i would like it any other way.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

on the crafting front. and a growing number of requests (read demands). is hallowe'en really only 12 days away?? eeeek is right!!

and the weather. southern CA in the fall drives me mad. though the skies are gorgeous - the santa ana winds have moved in. bringing temps back in the 80s.

and of course the kids insist on wearing winter hats...

i hope to have the bulk of pta organizing done by this weekend. and we can move on to more exciting things. like witches and scarey pink kitty-cats...

to temper all this i received the loveliest, most unexpected birthday present from the loveliest lisa s. thank you so much. (the light in our house isn't ever what i want it to be when i find the time to photograph anything... plan on getting it down this weekend to share. it really must be shared!) lisa just completed her DRAWING A DAY series. this too is too good not to check out. you can find it here... sifting through these gorgeous images is the respite i have needed...

Monday, October 16, 2006

oh how i love hallowe'en. even as a kid i remember so clearly pulling my mom over to the pattern books at the fabric store to begin inspiration for my holiday transformation. i love dressing up. i love not knowing exactly who is at my front door. i love the screams and the giggles.

we are so lucky to live in a pretty tight neighborhood. where trick-or-treating door-to-door still happens. and where some of the neighbors are famous for their decorations (mainly at christmas but hallowe'en does pretty well too!). there will be a group of four families getting together this year to head out together. our kids range in ages from 20 months to 5 years. my big bug will certainly be the ringleader. (seems she has my "holiday-love" gene.)

this weekend we had a few of the kids over to the house to help make decorations. nothing elaborate here. we stuck gooey eyes on a wreath (a la martha). made pumpkins and cats out of cut paper (as i recall doing as a grade-schooler). linked together orange, black and white paper chains. and devoured cookies we baked in the shapes of owls, bats, cats and pumpkins.

it was so much fun. my dear friend always says this is her favorite time of year. from now on through to new year's. (she called me last night feeling quite festive - making dinner while listening to this!) and i agree. i know that the hustle and bustle can get us down. i try to ignore what is going on in the stores. we have an unspoken agreement that no christmas music is played until after thanksgiving. (at least when d is around!) but i just love to relish the togetherness of it all. the little things. like watching the big bug helping a little friend form a cat from folded paper. and having an elderly neighbor come up the driveway to help me adjust our pumpkin lights swagged over the front door. hallowe'en seems to be the holiday that brings it all in. the temps start to cool. the nights come earlier. we aren't on our front steps after dinner anymore. but we still find some great community time.

Friday, October 13, 2006

and so i ordered my laptop a new sleeve. (actually its first. i felt it was getting too dinged on the journey from studio to minivan to home and back again.) yes, i do resort to retail therepy on occasion. especially when i can make it "work related".

but i fear that it is too tight a fit. i guess 15" doesn't mean across does it? will have to visit the 17". sorry laptop. (and oh how she loved that hooty zipper pull.) blame it on the turkey. (i always do.)

Thursday, October 12, 2006

I love architecture. In my list of possibilities it is always present.

Our Home is a dream home, in that it is ours! (I never would have thought I would own a home in L.A.) But I am always looking. Ripping pages out of magazines. Studying the Architecture section at the bookstore. We have pretty much finalized our plans for our home. Unfortunately, I have more ideas that I have house. (And I do not want a bigger house - ours is a perfect fit. Well except prehaps for a studio in the backyard. But that is another dream!) And so I dream... some more.

If I could hire an architect to turn a shed into my dream home, that architect would be Barbara Bestor. (You may have spotted her house early this year in Domino magazine. What a transformation.) I think she is genius. And, as a mom, knows how to develop an effective floorplan!

Her website is full of wonderful images. And her book. Well, a source for many of my dreams.

{just removed the photo i had attached to this post. you can find it, and more, here. i realized - and i don't know why i didn't think of it at the time, blame it on a head full of mush, pulled in too many directions lately, though no excuse is really ok - that although i did link it back to its source, the source itself didn't give any credit. that while this image wasn't by another blogger, it was by a photographer, and wasn't mine for the taking. while i didn't mean any harm, i "stole" the image. i am not sure where it is from. and given all the recent ongoings in our community, i should have been smarter. my bad. i hope my error reminds others of all that amanda put so eloquently...)

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

my new slim l o n g jeans (it is so hard for me to find a pair that fit the way i want them to - these do)

the days getting shorter (yes i realize i may be alone on this one but for some reason i have always liked the dark. oh, and maybe it has something to do with the fact that my kids seem to be sleeping more!)

weather predictions (i can remember being obsessed with this site when planning our {outdoor} wedding. i still check it every once-in-a-while.)

Friday, October 06, 2006

this was the sky out our back-door yesterday as i returned from shipping out the last of my big projects that were due this week. big sigh. big sky. felt pretty good.

it has been a challenge getting things done for me lately. thanks for all your kind words. it is amazing how much difference 6 hours a week less at work makes! but it certainly does seem to make a difference. i really need to finish reading this book. and to put some of its methods in place.

but i think first i need to clear my desk in the studio. i always feel so much better with a clear desk.

update on the big bug - she has moved into a k/1 split, with a teacher i feel very positive about - and is really enjoying herself. she even stopped the postal carrier the other day to tell her about her day. another big sigh!

the weekend is filling up quickly. i have signed up for a one day workshop on writing grant proposals that i am (strangely perhaps) excited about. and sunday we will be taking giselle to church with us for a blessing, in celebration of the feast day of st.francis. needless-to-say the big bug is very excited about this. though rather concerned that our dear giselle will not keep her head out long enough to be blessed. i have reassured her that a blessing on the shell is just as good.

and i am really (really!) hoping to get back to the sewing machine too. i have orders for hallowe'en costumes (a scarey pink kitty-cat and a witch, inspired naturally by this). and pjs for the big bug's bday present.

hannah's post this week really resonated with me. i feel so blessed to know you - to have you in my life. my work at the studio is very solitary, and i often compare you to co-workers. i love to hear what you have been doing, to peek over my cubicle wall and into yours. to hear what your kids have been doing. and to share (the often mundane) concerns of my life. thank you friends!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

we have two deadlines in the studio this week and i am feeling the pressure. (the deadlines coupled with my new reduced work schedule that corresponds with the big bug's school day have me pretty muddled.)

Monday, October 02, 2006

i did something i rarely do. i cleared our calendar this weekend. i slacked off on plans we had made. i offered (lame) excuses and (through the understanding and generousity of our friends!) was able to stay close to home. it was the first bit of weather we have had that felt anything close to fall and all i wanted to do was cocoon with my family. it felt so good.

as i have mentioned the little bug seems to be having the most difficulty with her sister going off to kindergarten. i hadn't even considered it really, but she is used to having her near all the time. and now she isn't. of course it is hard on her. (she has regressed quite a bit - but we are working with that - and trying to be very patient.) so this weekend it was a treat just to see them together. playing. reading. jumping in the puddles. (we had rain - what a treat!)

d however did not take it easy. and our bathroom. has. tile! (he is busy at home as i type this finishing it up.) i am so pleased. next step - a proper tub faucet. and - gasp - a toilet can't be too far in the future. can it?? and someday (soon i think) it will look like this.

as for my new role at the big bug's school - i was voted in on thursday as president of the pta. this is something that doesn't really fall inside my comfort zone - but it is something i look forward to exploring, and seeing how i grow. (anyone out there have any pointers? i'd love to hear others' ideas, suggestions etc.)